Joseph shaffer of dayton



(No Model.)

J. SHAFFER.

MACHINE FOR FORMING GRUPPERS.

No. 800,021. Patented June 10, 1884.

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JOSEPH SHAFFER, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDlVARD F. COOPER, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR FORMING CRUPPERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 300,021, dated June 10, 188%.

(No model.)

E (LZZ whom (It may concern.-

Be it known that I, J osErH SHAFFER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Oruppers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speci- IO fication.

Hy invention relates to that class of machinery for making leather cruppers for harness wherein the properly shaped and moistened leather blank is subjected to stretching I 5 and swaging in properly-formed dies to give permanent shape to the tube, which is afterward sewed together at its seam and filled, and is an improvement upon my former patent, No. 238,446, dated March 1, 1881.

The novelty consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the partsas will be herewith set forth and specifically claimed.

In the-accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is afront elevation of the machine. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the middle portion of the threepart die. Fig. 4 is a plan View of the crupper-blank. Fig. 5 is an 0 enlarged front elevation of one of the stretching-tongs. Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the bed-plate which sustains the threepart die.

' The same letters of reference are used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Upon any suitable frame-work or workingbench, A, is bolted or otherwise suitably secured a metal bed-plate, B, with a projecting head, 0, and spindle D, of the construction shown in Fig. 6.

Upon the head 0 is fitted the three-part die, consisting of the two outer portions, E, and central portion, F. The former are slotted or perforated, so as to fit snugly over the head O, and the latter, while fitting over the head G, 5 has a vertically-elongated slot, which permits it to travel up and down between the outer portions upon the head 0 as a guide, as occasion may require, and as will be presently explained. The edges of the outer portions, E, are rounded off, as seen at a, Fig. 1, and the edge of the central portion, F, is guttered or channeled, as seen at b. The central portion. F, as seen by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, is smaller than the outer portions, so that a gut ter or channel extends on the two sides and top of the die when the parts are in their normal position.

To hold the port-ions of the die together, I interpose a leather or rubber washer, c, between the inner section E and the bed-plate, and a similar washer, d, between the outer section E and a wooden or metal block or follower, 6, slipped over the spindle D, a spiral spring, G, encompassing the spindle D, confined between "the follower c and a thumbscrew, H, which is tapped into the end of the spindle D, as seen in Fig. 1. From this construction it will be seen that the portions E of the die, while they cannot move up and down, can be spread apart more or less, dependent upon the elasticity of the washers 0 (Z and the tension of the spring G; also, by means of the thumb-screw H, this degree of cxpansibility can be adjusted and regulated. The middle portion, F, of the die is supported upon any 7 suitable spring or springs, and in this instance I have represented it as supported upon an elliptic spring, I, secured to a block attached to the post J, or in any suitable manner.

K is any suitable pedal or foot-lever, piv- 8o oted at f, and carrying a small pulley, around which passes a rope, cord, or strap, h. The upper ends of this rope pass over small pulleys t, which are journaled in one leg of each of the two gripping-tongs'L, and are secured to the opposite legs, as shown, or in any suitable manner. The j aws of these tongs are serrated, notched, or roughened, as shown. For con- 1 venience, a platform, M, is provided, whereon to rest the tongs when not in use, so as to be 0 within easy grasp of the operator. The pedal K is held up by the spiral spring it, or by any other suitable spring.

Upon any suitable standard, N, is pivoted the hand-lever O, which carries the swaging- 5 block I, pivoted thereto at j This swagingblock has its under surface hollowed out and rounded to fit in and conform to the shape of the gutter or channel in the middle section,

F, of the die, and it is made slightly tapering 10o 2- soo,o21

from its lower end up, as seen in Fig. 1. When not in use, it is rested upon a shelf or frame, R, of any suitable construction, within close proximity to the upper end of the die.

The operation of my machine is as follows The previously-moistened crupper-blanks S are bent around the top of the die, and are gripped at their lower ends by the tongs L, as seen in Fig. 2. The operator then with his foot presses down the lever K, which motion so stretches the leather that it is bent down close upon the rounded edges a of the sections E. The greater the pressure exerted upon the pedal K the tighter the jaws of the tongs L are made to clamp the leather, owing to the employment of the pulleys i and cord 71, as will be at once comprehended by reference to Figs. 2 and 5. As soon as the leather has been stretched by the complete depression of the pedal K, and while it is so held, without releasing it, the operator, taking hold of the le ver 0, brings the swaging-block 1? directly over the lever, and, drawing down the lever,

forces the block down upon the middle section, F, and between the outer sections, E. This action spreads apart the outer portions, E, and forces down the middle section, F, until held b y the edges of the die, as will be readily comprehended. Upon reraising the lever O and releasing the pedal K,the spring I forces up the middle section, F, and with it the leather, which is removed and detached from the tongs L, and is properly shaped to be sewed together and receive the filling.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim- 1. In a crupper-forming machine, the combination, with a swaging-block, of a three-part die, the outer portions of which can be spread apart, and the inner portion of which can be depressed, substantially as described.

2. In a crupper-forming machine, the combination, with the forming-die, of a pedal and automatic gripping-ton gs united to said treadle by a cord or equivalent device, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the lever 0, carrying the bed-plate supporting the three-part die E E F, washers 0 d, spindle D, follower 6, spring G, and thumb-screw H, of the spring I, tongs L, cord h, and treadle K, substantially as and for the purpose described.

JOSEPH SHAFFER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES E. BROWN, E. XV. REoToR. 

